Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Author
Topic: Not getting enough food (Read 3687 times)

I'm in my first week of treatment. I'm on Stribild. I am having an extremely hard time eating. And I know that is behind feeling like crap. I am basically surviving off yogurt and ensures. Do any of you have advise? I have absolutely no energy either.

It would help to know what your numbers are like. From what you describe about eating in your other thread, it sounds like esophageal thrush is a possibility. Have you spoken to your doctor about your eating difficulties?

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

It's lack of appetite. And when I do eat or drink a little I feel like I'm going to vomit.. I don't but I feel like I am. Right now.. everytime my tummy settles a little im taking a few sips of ensure and water. My numbers are bad... VL 3.5million and my CD4 34.

From reading your other post and this one it clear you are under lots of stress and anxiety , it may be if you talk with your doctors again that can make a plan to treat some of the underlying factors that's effecting your appetite .

I was once on meds that made eating a challenge to me and I lost allot a weight , it was alarming . I found foods that I could tolerate and ate many little meals at a time until things settled down for me . Things will get better and you are doing the right thing by asking for help and feedback , I urge you to call your doctor if you haven't already and let them know you are struggling . In the mean time please keep coming here to vent and know that you are not alone .

Thanks Jeff. I did speak with my nurse yesterday and she suggested Ensure. So I'm trying that but just don't feel like I'm getting enough. But maybe I am. I can stomach yogurt too. And my therapist started me on anxiety meds as of yesterday. So hoefully it helps. I guess I was hoping for an over night fix but it will take time. I know I'm also dealing with some depression.. We had a miscarraige 2 months ago. Therapist says my hormones are contributing to things. And I have this massive feeling of lonliness.

I hope it helps a little bit , you always have us . Once in the 90's I was on a some meds that even thinking about food made me barf . A friend brought me a sack full of canned food and I peeked into the bag at the soup labels and ran to be sick LOL . I do understand .

I found I could eat rice and bananas first , then to my shock a chili dog sounded good and I could eat that . I'm not kidding , I found that chili dogs were tolerable of all things .

You have been through a lot and I can promise you things do improve if you keep trying and keep coming back to ask for help . When I first landed here on this forum things were bad for me again and I was recovering from drug addiction , the days I felt like giving up or giving in is when I reached out for the support and it saw me through to better days .

You can always find someone of your choosing to talk to here and I'm betting they wont let you down . I'm always a pm away . Get some rest and keep us updated .

Good news! I was able to sip on Ensure and water all day yesterday and by the evening was feeling a little better. I was able to eat some grapes and even a half a bowl of soup without difficulty. Even a handful of almonds before bed. Felt so much better. Got a little sick over the night but ill take it. Wasn't bad and probably just from all the meds I've had to start recently. We will see how today goes!

I'm wondering if this isn't more of a psychological issues rather than physical? Please don't take this as a judgmental thing as I recognize some of the "catch phrases" you state. Some grapes, yogurt, 1/2 bowl of soup? I've only recently started dealing with my own issues in regards to food.

This will sound morbid, but my AIDS diagnosis allowed me to finally starve myself to extreme since I had justification. Not realizing the damage it was doing to my system.

If I'm way off base, please forgive me. But if I'm even remotely close, please consider addressing it. You can feel free to PM if you wish to address this in private.

Wolfie

Logged

Complacency is the enemy. Challenge yourself daily for maximum return on investment.